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Day 5
Cultivate Your Gratitude
The following story ran in a newspaper some years ago:
The District of Columbia police auctioned off about 100 unclaimed bicycles
Friday. “One dollar,” said an 11-year-old boy as the bidding opened on the
first bike. The bidding, however, went much higher. “One dollar,” the boy
repeated hopefully each time another bike came up.
The auctioneer, who had been auctioning stolen or lost bikes for 43 years,
noticed that the boy’s hopes seemed to soar higher whenever a racer-type
bicycle was put up.
Then there was just one racer left. The bidding went to eight dollars. “Sold
to that boy over there for nine dollars!” said the auctioneer. He took eight
dollars from his own pocket and asked the boy for his dollar. The youngster
turned it over in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters — took his bike, and
started to leave. But he went only a few feet. Carefully parking his new
possession, he went back, gratefully threw his arms around the auctioneer’s
neck, and cried.
When was the last time you felt gratitude as profoundly as this little
boy did?
Aesop said, “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” Indeed, gratitude is one
of the hallmarks of a life lived well. It is a virtue that profoundly impacts
your personal happiness and the quality of your relationships.
Showing Gratitude to Others
A lack of gratitude is often at the root of a variety of the ills that plague
relationships. When a wife or husband never shows appreciation for their
spouse, the embers of their love are soon extinguished. When a boss never
thanks his employees for what they do, the employees start to resent both